How do road players do it?

J

Jason Robichaud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I find it hard to believe that these guys can walk into any room and beat the best for the cheese. What is the process for a road player?

If I decided to go on the road, I wouldn't need a map to find my way home. I am an ok player, never would I walk into a room and put an open challenge on the table.

Couple things I would like to know...

Is there a list of fish in each town?
Some place to find backers?
Do they hustle crazy spots?
How many road players went MIA?
How quick does the word get out that a road player is on the prowl?

Any personal road trips stories would be great.
 
Most, IMO, get steered.

I would suggest it would take someone either foolish or amazing speed to take all comers blindly.

Most, IMO, wouldnt admit it.

Ken
 
I believe most are steered. I have also seen where the player will hang around at a spot for a few weeks. Learn everyones speed before they even get in any action. Its like hunting, you sit at the same spots for hours/ days,
than when the perfect one gets in your sights, you fire.
 
Grady has a tape called "Money Pool", which I found quite amusing.

He talks about what clothes to wear, how to talk to the locals, how to lay low and then up the bet, etc. His method basically optimizes your stay - how to milk the most money out of a town without having to do it in one day.

Of course if you want to go in and challenge anybody for lots of money, Cole Dickson was one of the best. Of course he used to go in the Florida bars barefoot, I heard, when he was 16.
 
pooljunkie4ever said:
I believe most are steered. I have also seen where the player will hang around at a spot for a few weeks. Learn everyones speed before they even get in any action. Its like hunting, you sit at the same spots for hours/ days,
than when the perfect one gets in your sights, you fire.
Click to expand...

Yep, the one that always get the cash is the sniper because he never get into a bad game. Trouble is that he has to wait too long in between games. So he better make it a good one when he get action if that's what you want to call it.

Being on the road is something that I'm glad I did for a good while but looking back I wouldn't do it again. You wind up with nothing but good times and good stories but that's all. A good friend of mine that traveled with me always said to me that he like going on the road with me because I always ate good and never slept in my car. That how it is, easy come, easy go. Good food and drink, nice cars, and fast women. Sounds good but it gets old quick.
 
I don't see the point of going on the road unless you play at a real high level. Someone once told me--- don't bother unless you can walk into any poolroom in America and be able to beat everyone in the room but "that one guy." Many cases, however, you should be able to walk into any room and beat everyone. I think unless you have that ability, you're pissing in the wind. Otherwise, might as well do something where you can suck out in ... like poker or something like that.
 
Everything Neil said and more. Used to be, a guy would go into a room and start small, lesser players and smaller bets. Work his way up the food chain to get to the guy with the money/backer. Lose some, ya gotta be able to figure how many to win/lose to keep 'em interested. Lot of steering, too. How you look, act, dress is indeed important, ie: Wimpy with his straw hat and overalls. Anybody remember Stevie Moore with blond hair:D I remember what a good friend of mine told me once: "Make it fun for 'em!" That way, they keep coming back.
I'm not sure a hundred a day would do it these days. I think the days of rich one day and broke the next may be gone forever, it's more broke, period, these days.
 
I've always wanted to walk in to a new room and be the unknown asking for action :-)

Tried it at Eastside in NY, and I had a game within minutes. Only $ 20 a set, but it was fun having no idea what speed the other had. I lost 7-2, then won 7-3, then lost 7-6.

Wasn't hard to get "action" at all, just had to ask the bartender.
 
One good thing about leagues though is they post results and handicaps on boards. That is a great source for judging players speed.

I see someone posted, watch players for days or weeks. The match would have to be for thousands to cover cost with a lose sticking the RP hard. Most local guys work (guessing) and are only available 8 -12pm days. That leaves 4 hours to make money. Time determines the price of action. A person would need $100-200 per set to make $200+ a night. Most guys I know playing for $200 can shoot. Playing for $20 a set, you have to try and beat the guy every set to make expenses. Most $20 guys quit after 2 or 3 sets.
 
I'm not a money player but it has to be a thrill to walk into a place you've never been to looking for action, especially for big money. The most gambling i've ever done in pool is lose $50 to a guy playing straight pool, and I just started playing the game :embarrassed2: Guess I should just stick to leagues.
 
Neil said:
The problem with hitting the road today, is that there just isn't the same kind of action that there used to be. Used to be, you could go into almost any bar and get $5 or $10 a game action. And, this was against bar patrons, not real players! You would win two, maybe 3 games, then go to another bar and do the same. Then on to another bar or two. You could make $100-200 a night, and nobody was any the wiser.

Nowdays, in most bars you are doing good to get someone to play for a dollar or two. Personally, I blame the leagues, but that is for a different thread that has been hashed out over and over and doesn't need to be discussed here.

If you are after the bigger dollars, you better play REAL good. And, you better have no problem tugging on Supermans cape. Because, in a lot of places, that is just what you will be doing.
Click to expand...

That's all true in most bars. However, I think you can still find money games in established pool rooms. Most every room has a pecking order and I believe that the top half or so of the best players in most rooms are willing to bet something. Problem in the long haul would be if you win too often, you'll be asked for bigger & bigger spots. At some point, the line has to be drawn.
 
Neil said:
That depends on what kind of road player you want to be. If you just want to go out for a few months, you really need to go after the high dollar games. If you want to do it full time, you don't want to play for the high dollars, but get a lot of small action.

The small action will help keep you unknown, which is what you have to have happen if you want to do it full time. Even in the old days,news of the high dollar action spread across the country. Ask Chris Bartrum. Once the word gets out, all you are going to get to play is the champions. Hard to stay on the road doing that. You have to be an outstanding game maker to do it.

I don't know if there even is enough small action to stay on the road today. You need to make a couple hundred a day to stay afloat and have a little profit. But, I'm sure there still have to be some good hotspots around where it is easy to get $10 a game to $50 sets even though you are a stranger to them. But, usually, those spots are only good for a couple of months, and then you have to move on. You better have a real reliable mode of transportation!

edit: You better be one heck of a salesman too! And, you better be a good money manager. I know a group of guys that went on a several month road trip a few years ago. They made 10's of thousands of dollars. They spent all but a few thousand at topless bars. STUPID!! They get back and have nothing but stories.
Click to expand...

And that being said, if anyone DOES win a couple hundred a day, everybody with-in a hundred miles will hear about it!

You know the old saying....Telephone, telegraph and telepoolplayer! All get the message out quick! :D
 
Jason Robichaud said:
I find it hard to believe that these guys can walk into any room and beat the best for the cheese. What is the process for a road player?

If I decided to go on the road, I wouldn't need a map to find my way home. I am an ok player, never would I walk into a room and put an open challenge on the table.

Couple things I would like to know...

Is there a list of fish in each town?
Click to expand...

Yes. But you have to be part of the inside club to get the list. Road players trade spots. (a "spot" is a place where good soft action is)

Some place to find backers?
Click to expand...

Again you have to be part of the "in" crowd on this. The backer player relationships are formed by a variety of factors, one of them being able to show a backer that you can win under tough conditions and handle yourself and their money like a pro.

Do they hustle crazy spots?
Click to expand...

Do you mean crazy spots as in proposition games/giving up lots of weight? Or do you mean crazy spots like walking into the clubhouse of the Hell's Angels dressed like a flaming gay diva? The answer would be both depending on what the situation calls for if the road player is also a hustler. If they are however just match up players then they are looking to play without the hustle and just match up the best they can.

How many road players went MIA?
Click to expand...

I have never heard of any that just disappeared.

How quick does the word get out that a road player is on the prowl?
Click to expand...

Fairly quickly these days if the road player goes to places where other "players" hang out. If they stay undercover then they have a better chance. Bartrum can write a book on the subject. Danny Basavich did.

Any personal road trips stories would be great.
Click to expand...

I never got past Family Billiards down the block, sorry.
 
Jason Robichaud said:
I find it hard to believe that these guys can walk into any room and beat the best for the cheese. What is the process for a road player?
Click to expand...

First off it is their how them make their living, and I am sure every time they take a shot they put 150% effort into the shot, because a miss can cost. Not eating, not having a place to sleep, not many things. They are like the Pro Athlete trying to keep they job, with rookies in the wing waiting to take the job.
 
Like Neil stated, you could make $100-$200 a night just bar-hopping with in a 10 sqm area. You still needed to be a strong "B" player or better, know how to hustle, and not get greedy in any one bar. I did it from 1958-1990 as a job and as a part-time job when I was working. Gas was a quarter a gallon and a glass of beer was a dime back in the day. I probably made between $200-$300 a week (good money back then) for years and my drinks, drugs, and toys were covered with that plus a lot of fun along the way. I played in blue-collar bars, biker bars, and bars near large companies. I always tried to also hit bars where they had a lot of dealers and other criminal type. Most that don't work hard for their money are easy pickings

I don't think I could do that today. Now you have computers (with web sites like AZ on them), cellphones with cameras, and books, dvd's, and anything on the Internet you want to know about pool playing. There are many, many more good players in most bars with tables than ever. The easy pickings of yesteryear are gone.

A pool hustler=To con a lesser skilled player to play you for money. Johnnyt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top